Ribbon-reverse mechanism.



w. w. LASKER. RIBBON REVERSE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-17' I915.

1,249,640. Patented Dec. 11,1917.

I v 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W. W. LASKER.

RIBBON REVERSE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 17, 1915.

Patehted Dec. 11,1917.

\ Witnessciy In ventor: WZZZ'QIWWLLZ-SZZI;

By his/a2;

Witneases: -Invenior: wilzbmfifiafll'e'i; a [@WLV 11y his JZZZ'y A4 W. W. LASKEB.

RIBBON REVERSE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- I7| I915- 1,249,640. Patented Dec. 11. 1917.

a SHEETS-SHEET 3 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

LASKEB, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB. TO POWERS ACCOUNTING MACHINE COMPANY, 01! NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OEDELLWABE.

RIBBON-REVERSE MECHANISI,

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that 1, WILLIAM W. LABKER, a. citizen of the United States, residing in Brooklyn, inthe county of Kings and State of. New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ribbon-Reverse Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to a mechanism for reversing a ribbon on a printing machine such as an accounting machine, typewriter, or the like.

The main object of the present invention is to provide an improved reversing mechanism for printing ribbons which mechanism is positive in initiating its reverse movement, is characterized by its simplicity and small number of working parts, and can be actuated both manually and mechanically without special adjustment.

These and other features, capabilities and advantages of the invention will appear from the subjoined deta'il description of one specific embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure l is a side elevatlon oi: an account- .ing machine with parts broken away to illustrate the ribbon reversing mechanism; and

Fig. 2-is a fragmental plan view of the which the end of the ribbon is attache Fig. 6 is a plan view of the spool on which .the ribbon is wound.

Fig. 7 is a transversesection of the spool shown in Fig. 6. i

Fig. 8 is a perspective showing the clip secured-to the end of the ribbon by means of which theribbon is attached to the pin showninFig. 5. y

In the present embodiment two vertical shafts 21 are provided properly journaled at their upper portions in the brackets 22 and at their lower portions in the plate 23, the

shafts 21 terminating at-theirlower ends in beveled gears 24 disposed below the plate 23,

which gears are meshed? with the beveled gears 25 ,onegear 2-5, beingzfixed on the horizontally disposed shaft- 26 and the other Specification 0! Letters Patent.

-'ends, having handles 47, by means of Patented Dec. 11, 191?.

Application med September 17, 1915. Serial No. 51,153.

' gear 25 being fixed on the horizontally dis- 33 at the end thereof, through which extends a stub-shaft 34 having a collar 35 fixed to the upper end from one side of which ex:- tends a finger 36, (see Fig. 4-), and the lower end of the stub-shatt is provided with a tire ger 37 extending forwardly under the plate 23 and having a. downwardly projecting portion 38. A plate 39, which extends an der and parallel to the plate 23, is slidably supported. by brackets 10 extending downwardly from the plate 513. There is provided an orilice near each end of said plate 39 with which the downwardly extending portions 38 register and cooperate. The lingers 3b engage the lower ends of and are disposed in the path of movement of such lower ends of the levers 4.3 fn lcrmned substantially in their middle portions to the main frame of the machine. The upper ends of the icvers 43 are provided with fingers M- extending under the lower disks of the ribbon spools 45 which are fixed on the upper ends of the shafts 21 above the brackets :12, such. shafts being provided with cranks 4th at their HPPEX which the spools 45 maybe manually rotated. The

spools are each provided with slots 48 extending substantially radial and parallel. with one another in the disks of the spools In each pair of such slots 48 there is disposed a pin 49 having a lower extension 50 adapted to engage the finger 4 1 of a lever 43. The 'pins'l.) are guided between the disks of the spools 45 by means of small Adjacent to the spools disks 4-1 (Fig. 5). 45 there are provided brackets 51 each having a vertically extending plate 52 disposed alongsideof a spool 45 and adapted to guide .the ribbon from such spool to theidler 53,

which latter serves as a guide for changing the course of the ribbon moving from such spool 45. provided with guiding rolls '54 adapted to ride in the slots 55 formed in the extensions 105, The brackets 51. are furthermore 56 at the upper ends of the levers 43 for guidin such upper ends of the levers 43.

On the main driving shaft 57 there is fixed a bracket 58 having a slot 59 therein to receive a pin of the lever 60 loosely journaled on the shaft 57 by means of whlch pin and slot connection the lever 60 is oscillated. The lower end of the lever 60 has pivotally connected thereto two arcuate segments 61 each having a series of teeth on its inner edge adapted to engage with one of the star wheels 30, each segment independent of the other. curved slots 62 to permit the passage of the cam block 63 therethrough,-which cam block 63 is secured to the plate 39. The plate 39 is also provided with two springs 64 each engaging one of the segments 61 and exercising an upward pressure on the same so that the spring 64 will flex or maintain in engage ment with its star wheel 30, that segment 61 which is not engaged by the cam block 63.

The operation is as follows:

The shaft 57 is driven by any suitable source of power and with every oscillation of the shaft 57 the lever 60 will be oscillated and swing the segments 61 with it. While the ribbon on the spools 45 is going in one direction, the cam 63 will be disposed in one slot 62 and maintain its segment 61 out of engagement with its star-wheel 30, while the other segment 61 is in engagement with the star-wheel so that upon the oscillation of the shaft 57 such other star-wheel 30 will be rotated, the star-wheel having inclining teeth sothat uponthe return movement of the segment or when it is manually operated, the segment will merely slide over such in{ clined teeth. When the ribbon on a spool 45 comes to, its end which is secured in a clip 65, (see Fig. 8) which clip haslaterallybent arms 66 by means of which the end of the ribbon is firmly clamped a ainst the clip and whichclip also has a 00k 67 atits extreme end adapted to engage the pin 49 in the spool 45, the further movement or pull of the ribbon will draw the pin 49 to the outer ends of the slots 48 and while so moving outwardl such pin 49 will strike the finger 44 of t e lever 43, swinging the lever 43 so that its lower end will engage the finer 36 and rotate the shaft 34, which in turn,

y means of its finger 37, will slide the plate 39 and thereby move the cam-block 63 out of the slot 62 of the one segment 61 into the slot 62 of the other segment 61.

' Since the rotation of'the star-wheels 30 will rotate either the shaft 26 0 1227 imdsuch shaft 26 or 27, by means of the beveled gears connected thereto, is respective'l connected to rotate one of the shafts 21 an the thereto connected spool 45, the change of drawin one segment 61 from one star wheel 30 an advancin the other segment- 61 into engage-. men-t mi said arm each disposed adjacent to one the other star-wheel 80, will.

buckle up the ribbon. The segments 61 are provided with It. is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made to the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a reversing mechanism for a rinting ribbon, the combination with a ame, two ribbon supporting members rotatably mounted therein, means for attaching the ends of the ribbon to said upporting members, a main driving shaft, connecting means each operatively connecting one ribbon supporting member with said driving shaft, a cam for disconnecting said connecting means one to the exclusion of the other so that only oneribbon supporting member can be rotated at any one time, a bar on which said-' cam is mounted, and means for connecting 95 the bar with the ends of said ribbon to be actuated by that end of the ribbon which be comes free when the spool upon which it is disposed becomes unwound.

2. In a reversing mechanism for a rinting ribbo'n, the combination with a rame, two spools rotatably mounted in said frame, the ends of the ribbon being attached to said spools, a star-wheel o ratively connected with each spool, a main drivin shaft, an. 106 arm loosely mounted on said driving shaft, links pivotally connected to said arm .each disposed adjacent to one of said star-wheels, teeth on said links, means for oscillatin said arm with said main driving shaft, an .1 10 means for maintaining thqteeth of said links in engagement with said star-wheels one to f the exclusion of the othervso that only one f spool can be positively rotated at anyone time; v i l. 3; In a reversing mechanism for a time ing ribbon, the combination with a rams; two spools rotatably mounted. in said frame, a star-wheel o erativel connectedwitli'each spool, a'maiu srivi aft for rotatingsaid j star-wheel, an arm' ooselymounted on "'said driving shaft, links pivotallyvconnecte' rap said star-wheels,- teeth on sai-dszlinksy; bracket fixed to said main driving sha there being a slot in said bracket, mph on said arm t'ravelin in said slot' whereby said-1 arm is oscilla with saidamain drivin shaft, and means for maintaining the teeth of said links in engagement with said star-. 3 I I wheels one to the exclusion of the other so that only one spool can be positively rotated at any one time.

4. Ina reversing mechanism for a rinting ribbon; the combination with a rame, two spools rotatabl mounted in said frame, the ends of the ri bon being connected to said spools, a star-wheel operatively con'- nected with each spool, a main driving shaft, an arm loosely mounted on said driving shaft, links pivotally connected to said arm each disposed adjacent to one of-sa ild star- Wheels, teeth on said links, means fdr oscillating said arm with said main driving shaft, there being slots in said links, a plate slidably mounted under saidstar-Wheels and extending through the slots of said links, springs on said plate for normally inaintaining said links in mesh with said star-Wheels, and a cam on saidplate adapted to pass through the slots'of said links and adapted to be disposed in one slot to the exclusion of the other according to the position of said plate whereby the link it engages will be maintained in mesh with its star-wheel.

In a reversing mechanism fora. printing ribbon, the combination with a frame, two spools rotatably mounted in said frame,

the ends of the ribbon being connected to said spools, a star-Wheel operatively-connected with each spool, a main drivin shaft, an arm loosely mounted on said riving shaft, links pivotally connected to said arm each disposed adjacent to one of said starwheels, teeth on said links, means for osciL lating said arm with said main driving shaft,

there being slots in said links, a plate slidably mounted under said starwvheels and ex tending through the slots ,of said links, springs on said plate for-normally maintaining said. links in mesh with said star- WllOClS, a cam on said plate adapted to pass through the slots of said links and adapted to be disposed in one slot to the exclusion of the other according to the position of said plate whereby the link it engages will be maintained in mesh With its star-wheel, and means for connectingsaid spools with said plate whereby said plate will be shifted whenever the ribbon is completely unwoundfrom one spool so as to. re-

lease the star-wheel thus far disconnected and. disconnect the other star-wheel.

6. In a reversing mechanism for a printing ribbon, the combination with a frame,

two spools rotatably mounted in said frame,

vertical shafts onwhich said spools are fixed,

gears on said shaft, starwheels, horizontal shafts on which said star-Wheels are fixed, gears on the end of said hor zontal shafts in mesh with the gears of said vertical, shafts, a, main driving shaft for rotating said star-wheel, an arm loosely mounted .on

said driving shaft, links pivotally connected to said arm each disposed adjacent to one shaft. and "(means for maintaining the teeth of said links in engagement with said starwheels one to the exclusion of the other so that only one spool can be positively rotated at any one time.

7. In a reversing mechanism for a print-' .ing ribbon, the c ll'l jllllfillflll with a frame, two spools rotatably mounted in said frame, the ends of the ribbon being attached to said spools, vertical shafts on which said spools are fixed, gears on said shafts, star wheels, horizontal. shafts on. which said star-Wheels are fixed, gears on the end of said horizontal shafts in mesh with the gears of said vertical shafts, a main driving shaft, an arm loosely mounted on said driving shaft, links pivotaily connected to said arm each dis posed adjacent to one 035 said star-Wheels, teeth on said links, means for oscillating said arm. with. main drigving shaft. and means for maintaining the teeth of said links in engagen'ient with star-wheels one. to the exclusion of t other that only one spool can be positively rotated at any one time.

8. In a reversing mechanism for a. print ing ribbon, the combination with a -frame, two pools rotatably mounted in said frame, a main driving shaft, means for connecting said spools to rotate with said shaft, an arm loosely mounted on said driving shaft, links of the other so that only one spool can be positively rotated at one time.

9. In a reversing mechanism for a 1 nttvvo spools rotatably mounted in said frame, radia being connected to said pins, said pins being normally maintained at the inner ends of said slots but being pulled to the outer end of the slot of that spool from which the' ribbon has been completely unwound, a driv-.

ing shaft for rotating said spools in'depends ently, means for connecting said spools with ing ribbon, the combination with a rame, two. spools rotatably mounted in said frame,-, a main driving shaft, means for connecting no ing ribbon, the combination with a name,

slots in said s ools, pins slidably mounted in said slots, the ends of the ribbon said shaft one to the'exclusion of the thei" said spools to be rotated with said main driving shaft, means for disconnecting said connectin means, one to the exclusion of the other, an means for connecting said spools with said disconnecting means whereby said disconnecting means will be shifted, said means comprising slots radially disposed in said spools, pins slidably' mounted in said slots, the ends of the ribbon being connected to said pins, levers fulcrumed adjacent to said spools, fingers on said levers disposed in the path of movement of said pins when said pins are disposed in the outer ends of their slots thereb to engage said levers and swing the some, at or fingers operatively connecting 15 said levers to said disconnecting means so that the actuation of said first mentioned fingers by said pins will shift said discon necting means.

WILLIAM W. LASKER. Witness:

GUSTAV Dnnws. 

